Old Beliefs in Birds and Animals: Part One

The Robin. photo by Gary Tacagni.

There are many accounts of how the Robin aquired its red breast, in one account it is said that it tried to ease Christ’s pain while he was being crucified on the cross and that it was splashed by some of his blood and this is how its breast became red. An alternative legend with a religious theme is that the Robin scorched its breast fetching water for the souls held in Purgatory.

According to legend it is extremely unlucky to kill a Robin, it is said that the hand that kills a Robin will shake thereafter. In Ireland the belief is that if you kill a Robin a large growth will appear on your right hand. Anyone who kills a Robin in Yorkshire it is said, and who owns dairy cows will find there milk turns the colour of blood. Other superstitions connected with this bird is that if you harm one the same harm will be returned to you, if you break their eggs then something that you value will be broken. It is said that if a Robin flies into your house through an open window and then taps on a window with its beak a death will occur shortly afterwards. It is said that if you see a Robin sheltering in branches then it is a sign that it will rain shortly, alternately to see a Robin chirping on an open branch  is said to be a sign of good weather. Some people believe that a cat will not chase a Robin, others believe that you can make a wish on seeing the first Robin of the season, however if you take to long to make the wish and it flies off then you will have bad luck for a year.

The Hedgehog. photo by Anniko courtesy of Flickr.

In the past the Hedgehog has suffered greatly through ignorance and misunderstanding. In 1566 the Elizabethan Parliament put a three pence bounty on the head of every Hedgehog because it was believed that the Hedgehog stole milk form cows during the night. Although this was untrue it did not stop thousands of these animals being killed, thousands were also killed because it was thought that they stole eggs and broke them open to eat their contents, however it has been proved that Hedgehogs are physically incapable of cracking open a chickens egg.